


Predator

by Shaddyr



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Gen, Summer of Spike 2005
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-07-07
Updated: 2005-07-07
Packaged: 2018-08-12 13:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7936390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaddyr/pseuds/Shaddyr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People can be every bit as evil as vampires.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Predator

**Author's Note:**

> An old fic written as a warm up for Summer of Spike on Live Journal in 2005. 
> 
> Off screen sexual abuse; may be disturbing.
> 
> Dark and sad; not my usual fare. Still, I think this is something Spike would have done. After all, he was always keen to prove he was the biggest bad.

The bar was dingy. Harsh fluorescent lights created small areas of illumination over the pool tables but left the rest of the room wrapped in shadow. Decades of spilled beer and cigarette smoke permeated the place, giving the atmosphere that unmistakable 'seedy establishment of questionable reputation' feel.

Spike was right at home.

Lifting a fag to his lips, he studied several of the figures on the dance floor. That one was too thin. This one didn't smell right. There was one girl who looked promising, but she had far too many admirers. Spike exhaled a stream of smoke and flicked ash on the floor. He just wasn't in the mood to charm anyone tonight.

Out the corner of his eye, the vampire saw a new possibility enter the room. He gave the man a cursory once over and was about to dismiss him when an interesting scent caught his attention. Intrigued, Spike leaned forward slightly, trying to discern what it was, exactly. There was blood in it, but something else as well; something familiar but well masked.

Snagging his beer, Spike slowly made his way toward the juke box on the far side of the room. The man he was covertly observing was racking up balls to shoot a game of pool with a few of the other patrons. As Spike walked past him, he turned and the odor hit Spike full in the face. Helpless, hopeless terror. Fresh scrubbed skin and deodorant couldn't disguise such a powerful scent.

Spike continued with his nonchalant stride and stopped in front of the jukebox. Bob Seger crooned on about Old Time Rock and Roll as he absently flipped through the selections. So, the pool player was a predator, was he? Spike smirked and fed the machine a quarter as he punched in a random combination. _He_ was the only real predator in this backwater, one-horse town.

Or at least, he would be before the night was through.

Spike sauntered back to his table, accompanied by the mournful stylings of George Thorogood . He tossed back the rest of his beer, then flagged the harried waitress for another and settled in to wait.

***

The man gave up trying to unlock the front door of the comfortable-looking ranch-style house on the outskirts of the town. He started banging on the door, yelling and cursing until a young girl, not more that 10 years old, opened it. With a rough shove he pushed it open, sending the child tumbling back inside. After tripping across the threshold and flailing about a bit, he managed to clamber back to his feet and slam the door shut behind him. Even with the door closed, shouting could be heard, interspersed with high-pitched cries.

Spike stepped out from shadows where he had been observing the incident, a cold smile on his face. While he had brought Dru children to play with and snack on, he rarely indulged in hunting them himself. Evil as he was, even the sweetest bit of terror from a child always seemed to have a strange taint to it. He certainly wouldn't call it guilt, but whatever it was, it generally made hunting the little ones unpleasant.

Hunting adults who preyed on children, however, was an entirely different prospect. There was the stalking, which was always fun. The taunting, when they were confused and angry and still thought that they had some sort of control. Then there was the ever so delicious moment when they realized the truth. *They* were now the ones at the mercy of a predator far stronger and more powerful than themselves, one who would show them no mercy. They always begged and pleaded. They usually tried to bargain.

Spike flicked open his zippo and lit a fag, lounging against the house. He knew he didn't have long to wait. He was going to enjoy this meal. He was going to enjoy it a lot.

***

He was halfway through his third fag when the tell-tale sound of a man snoring in a drunken stupor reverberated through the house. Spike stepped up to the front door and listened closely. A few minutes later he heard the sound he'd been waiting for - the pitter patter of small feet moving quickly across the floor.

Spike knocked firmly. The footsteps came to a halt, and he imagined he could smell a fresh burst of terror wash towards him, wafting under the door. He waited a moment, then knocked again.

Slowly, tentatively, the footsteps approached. He could hear her frantic heartbeat right through the solid wood. It was obvious she was afraid to open the door, but she was probably just as frightened that the knocking would wake up the sleeping monster. He knocked again.

The tumbler clicked and the door opened a crack. Scared brown eyes framed by mane of matted brown hair peered up at him.

"Who... are you? What do you want?"

He hunkered down into a squat, staring into her eyes.

"I'm a friend."

She tilted her head to one side as her face crinkled up in confusion. She inadvertently took a step back, and he got a better look at her. Her face was bruised, and he could see marks on her neck that seemed to lead down under her night shirt. What really drew his attention was tantalizing smell. His gaze slid down the still damp blood stains low on the front of her nighty. There appeared to be blood on her legs as well.

Damn, he was hungry.

"Looks like you've been hurt."

The child looked back over her shoulder before looking at him again.

"I... I fell down the stairs. My daddy's sleeping and I didn't want to wake him up. I'm okay." She looked fearfully over her shoulder again. "You need to go. My daddy will be mad that I talked to a stranger."

He smiled gently at her. "What might happen if you daddy was mad, pigde?"

Her eyes got as big as saucers. "Nothing. Nothing would happen." She looked as if she were about to cry, again checking over her shoulder. "Please, mister, you gotta go. Please!"

Spike used the same firm tone as he did with Dru when she was having an episode and he needed to calm her down. "Look at me, pidge. Look in my eyes."

Against her will, the little girl did as she was told, her brown eyes locking with his blue ones. Slowly her resistance faded away. He didn't have the same skills as Dru with all her 'be in me' mojo, but he could calm a skittish mark about to bolt if he could just get them to look into his eyes. When he could tell she was settled enough, he nodded.

"I'll tell you what," he said with a reassuring smile. "You invite me in, and I'll take you away where you will never have to lie about hurting yourself again. And I'll fix it so you never have to be afraid of your daddy again either."

She just stared for a moment, then blinked, considering.

"I'm not lying."

"You don't have to hide it from me, pidge. I don't think you're bad. I think you're just keen the way you are, actually. But think, just for a minute. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go to bed at night and not be afraid?"

A teardrop escaped and trickled down one battered cheek.

"I'm scared."

"I know. But I can promise you something. I'm way more scary then your daddy is."

She frowned.

"He's way bigger than you!" she whispered confidentially. "And I don't think you're very scary."

"Well!" Spike put on a mock miff. "That's only because I like you. I'm really an evil monster. But I'm nice to little girls I like."

They smiled at each other for a moment, but the smiles faded quickly.

"So, what'll it be then, pidge? Invite me in? I always keep my promises. And I promise that you'll never have to be afraid of your daddy again."

The little girl stepped back and pulled the door open wide.

"Come in."

Spike stood up and stepped through the door. He smiled down at the brown haired child who gazed up at him so trustingly and ruffled her hair before taking her by the hand.

"C'mon, pidge. Let's go paint the town red."


End file.
